Railway and truck



(No-Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J` G. JOHNSON. RAILWAY AND TRUCK.

No. 478,332. Patented July 5, 1892.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. G. JOHNSON.

RAILWAY AND TRUCK. No. 478,332. y Patented July 5, 1892.

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JAMES G. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY AND TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.478,332, dated July 5, 1892.

Application filed August 29, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES G. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Oook and State of Illinois, have invented a newr and useful Improvement in Railways, of which the 'following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements inl railways; and its object is to provide for the application of wheels of peculiar construction, having beveled or inclined faces on their peripheries and revolving horizontally, to rails having beveled or inclined surfaces corresponding to said Wheels, whereby the friction is diminished and the danger of derailment decreased; also, to provide trucks and couplings for cars adapted to said improvements. I attain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout and in which- Figure l is a top plan view of two of my improved trucks and coupling located on a section of the track. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said two trucks and coupling. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. l upon the lines Fig. 4 is a detail view of a section of the track, showing the adjustment of the tie and sleeper supporting the rails. Fig. 5 is a top View of mytrucks and coupling upon a curved section of track.

A A represent the rails, B B the sleepers supporting the rails, and O the ties.

D D represent the upper plates, and D-J D the lower plates, which hold the several parts constituting the respective trucks in place.

E E represent the upper blocks or bearings, held rigidly to the plates D D by means of the bolts Jj, Whose upper sections are square. F F represent the horizontal wheels, located upon the lower sections of the bolts .I j, which constitute the axles upon which they revolve. In the opposite facesof the blocks orV bearings E E and the wheels F F 'are annular grooves nearly semicircular in cross-section, in which are located the series of spherical bodies G. j

The plates D D and D and D are strengthened and more firmly held together by the bolts I and nuts k. It is evident that Serial No. 404,097. (No model.)

this construction of the trucks is illustrated in its simplest form, omitting springs and a variety of means of adjustment to prevent shock and wear and tear, and I do not limit myself to the specific construction, as that may be varied indenitely without any departure from the spirit of my invention.

The two trucks are connected by a coupling in two sections K K', whichare pivotally united in the center, intermediate the trucks,

Vby a joint Z-d. Anykind of joint maybe employed; but I prefer a tongue-and-groove joint, by which the coupling may bekept parallel with the surface of the trackv and-prevented from yielding or vibrating vertically.

The ends of the coupling exterior to the trucks are provided with means for coupling to the other cars. The sections of the couplings are attached to the trucks by means of the bolts H, which I prefer should be rigidly held, so that the sections of the coupling will turn or deflect with their respective trucks; but this is not absolutely essential, as they may be pivotally connected to the bolts of the trucks.

The lower surfaces of the wheels F F are beveled, as shown at f f, preferably at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and they may be provided with annular shoulders above the beveled or angular surfaces; but this is not essential, nor should the shouldered proj ection be so low as to come in contact with the rail when the track is in perfect operative condition.

Myinvention does not relate to any special termed spreadin g ofthe track I prefer that the heads of the ties should be mortised intov the sleepers. (Shown inkFig. 4.)

In Fig. 5 I have shown the operation andl condition of the coupling and trucks when passing over a curve in the track.

Cars of my construction may be drawn or propelled by any of the well-known means, or power may be applied to the wheels G and they may be made thendriving-wheels to propel the cars.

The construction of my invention having IOO been described, the mode of operation is at once apparent. Thebeveled or angular faces of the horizontal wheels F F rest upon the corresponding faces ci of the rails. The Weight of the trucks and superposed cars rest upon the balls or spheres G, which roll in their grooved bearings, avoiding friction and lubrication. In passing over curves each truck is permitted to conform to the smallest section of curve by the pivoted coupling K K', and the trucks and car may be switched from one track to another by operating the lever O, which by means of the switch-bar N shifts the two ends of the rails from one track to another. This lever of course may be locked by any of the well-known means for that purpose, and it is also evident that any form of lever or means of switching the two rails may be employed, and I do not limit myself to any particular construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tc secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In a railway, the combination of a truck having two or more horizontal wheels held in the frame thereof with ball-bearings, the peripheral faces of said wheels having beveled or angular faces, with atrack of two rails, each provided on its inner side with a beveled or angular face corresponding to the faces of said wheels, all substantially as described.

2. In a railway, the combination of two trucks, cach having two or more horizontallyrotating wheels held in the frames thereof and providedl with ball-bearings, the peripheral faces of said Wheels being beveled or angular, a coupling pivoted at the center and connecting said trucks, and a track constructed of two rails, each provided on its inner side with a beveled or angular face corresponding to the faces of said wheels, all substantially as shown'.

3. In a truck for railways, the combination of a frame constructed of an upper and a lower plate with bolts to hold said plates in relative position, blocks E, held rigidly against the upper plate and their lower horizontal faces provided with an annular groove, horizontal Wheels held in said frame by vertical axles, their upper horizontal faces provided with annular grooves and their peripheral faces beveled or angular, and a series of balls or spheres adjusted in` size to operate in said grooves, all substantially as shown.

4. In a railway-car, the combination` of two or more trucks, each provided with two or more horizontally-rotatingwheels held by ball-bearings in the frames of said trucks, and the peripheral faces of said Wheels being beveled or angular, with a coupling in two sections pivotally attached at their interior ends and unitin g said trucks, all substantially as shown.

JAMES G. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

E. Il. ASHLEY, FRANK Munson. 

